Against the Odds
by T2 Angel
Summary: After the fall of SHIELD, Natasha gets an unexpected message from Steve asking her to meet. The conversation takes a turn Natasha doesn't expect. One-Shot. Romanogers. Takes places after Captain America: The Winter Soldier.


**A/N: 08.03.2019**

**Steve and Natasha are actually really fun to write about. I've enjoyed doing this aspect of the start of the relationship of Rogers and Romanoff. This story takes place not too long after the events of _The Winter Soldier_.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Against the Odds**

"_So, when do we start?" Sam asked._

"_We just did," Steve replied._

Natasha heard Steve say that to Sam as she walked away from the cemetery. She was convinced that she wouldn't see him for months after that, if not longer. That was fine for her, she still needed to figure out what she would do without S.H.I.E.L.D. being up and running. She was surprised to get a text from Steve, just two months later, asking her to meet up.

Natasha came to a bar in Manchester, England and looked around. She saw Steve sitting at a back table, who smiled and gave her a wave. She smiled back and walked over to his table.

"I wasn't expecting you to hear from you," Natasha admitted.

"I know." Steve motioned to the chair, "Have a seat."

She sat down. "Two months, you couldn't have found Bucky that quickly."

"Barely able to trace his steps."

"You'll find him. You're too tenacious to give up."

"Maybe," he said. "We'll see what happens."

"So, what going on?" she asked.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"About what?"

"Life," he said. "Just… this. This life I'm living."

"How so?" she asked.

"There's been a lot of things I've had to get used to. The hardest out of all of them… the things I've lost."

"I know it's been hard for you."

"It's okay. It's just taken some time to adjust. To see things in a new light. To see what happens next."

"And that somehow lead you to me?"

"At first? No."

"So, why call me?" Natasha asked.

"Sam asked me something," Steve answered. "Something I wasn't expecting."

"What was that?"

"He asked me… 'what's left to do after we find Bucky?'"

"That's a heavy question."

"One I wasn't sure I had the answer to."

"And you came to me for help?" she asked.

"You could say that," he replied.

"What can I do?"

"You can answer something for me." He looked her over. "Why did you try so hard to find me a date?"

She shrugged, "I saw a friend in need of… some kind of break from all he'd been through. A way to ease him back into everyday life."

"Was that the only reason?" he asked.

"Would there be another reason?"

"You're dodging my question."

She stared at him. "Maybe. If I was, how could you tell?"

"You don't have a tell," he said.

"And that's how you know I'm lying?" she asked. "Because I don't give myself away when I'm lying?"

"You could say that. Because almost everything else you do has a tell of some kind."

"Such as?"

"You smirk when you're up to something," he answered. "Your muscles tense you're about to attack. And your eyes search for your target's tells when you're looking for answers that you need during an interrogation."

"One would think you watch me closely," she said.

"One would think."

"Steve," Natasha raised an eyebrow. With a smirk. "Why did you call me?"

"I can't lie," Steve said. "I need you."

"You need my help? To find Bucky?"

"No."

Natasha looked down and tried to bite back a smile. She failed. She completely understood what he meant. And she couldn't believe it. Almost. She looked back at him.

"What can I say?" he asked. "All you were trying to do point out other women I should date… and I wonder what's wrong with… being with you?"

There it was. He just put himself out there. She'd prepared for an attack of every kind, for every enemy, for every possibility of death. But Captain America basically declaring that he wanted to be her boyfriend almost took her off her game.

Then again, she was lying to herself if she never had similar emotions toward him.

But she wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting himself into. "You realize I'm not an easy person to deal with, right?"

He chuckled, softly. "And, for some reason, you think I am?"

"You're easier than me."

"I don't think that's remotely true."

"I'm emotionally withdrawn assassin," she pointed out.

"I was born in 1918 and was frozen in ice for 70 years," he fired back.

"I've murdered people, Steve."

"Unless the laws changed while I was asleep, so have I."

"That was a war."

"Never made it right."

"You did what you had to," Natasha replied.

"I did what I had to," Steve agreed. "And someone who had a family didn't go home because of it."

"And so many others did."

"I could say the exact same to you."

"You really don't know about what I did," she said. "Before… the Avengers, before Iron Man."

"I know that you've made mistakes and choices," he replied. "I also know some of those same choices saved the world, made you a hero."

She managed not to smile but he was really making that difficult. "At the risk of getting somewhat emotional, have you taken a good look at me? And I mean beyond the physical."

"I know that's what you mean," he said, "and yes, I have."

"Then what about me makes you think that I'm worth life after… the mission is over?" she asked.

"You're strong. You're dependable. You're an amazing person all around. You've got a kinder heart than you think."

"Who lied and told you that?"

"No one did because no one had to." He shrugged, "I've seen it for myself."

"Nothing kind about this heart," she said.

"That's only because you can't see it. I see it just fine."

"Then let's say it this way: you're the bright spot of hope. I'm the dark area the world should never see."

"I'm not interested in the world," he leaned forward. "What people think, what they feel… it changes. I'm not asking you to put your life in the forefront."

"I already did that releasing SHIELD's files," she mused.

"What I'm asking… what I'm asking you to look at… is your life and my life. And… how those could work… together."

"Do you think they could?"

He shrugged, "I think it's worth a shot."

"That's a lot to gamble your life on, Steve."

"I've lived my whole life against the odds, Natasha. This… this is no different. Honestly… I think the odds are more in my favor with this than anything else."

She regarded him for a while in silence. From a place she wasn't used to, she heard her voice actually agreeing him about this.

She leaned forward. "You might be right."

He smiled.

She smiled back. "First things first, I'm not your damsel in distress. Ever."

"Never expected you to be," he replied.

"You saved my life once and that's gonna be the last time. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Second, you need more lessons in how to kiss."

"All you wanna give me," he said.

"And third," she said, "you wanna find Bucky? Then count me in. I don't care about the danger or the risk. I don't sit on the sidelines."

"Works for me."

"Glad we understand each other."

"Sorry if this cuts into the time you were going to spend figuring things out," he said.

"You know me," she said. "I can multitask. Now, we need to get to work."

He smiled. He was glad this went well. But he had to make sure. "You sure about this?"

"Positive," she replied.

"So, how do we start?"

She leaned forward, further, and kissed him on the lips. A long, soft kiss. Afterward, she pulled back and gazed into his eyes, "We just did."

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**A/N: What did you guys think? Let me know!**

**I'll do more with these two but, next time, I'll shift my focus to them already being in a relationship or something of that nature. Either way, I'm not done with Steve and Natasha yet, and I have a feeling that I'm not the only one.**

**See you guys later!**


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